CSUEB makes annual Top 100 list noting diversity of students and graduates

July 13, 2012

By Sarah Stanek

For the third year, California State University, East Bay has been included in the annual list of the Top 100 Degree Producers for minority students published by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. The survey ranks higher education institutions that confer the most degrees to students of color.

President Leroy M. Morishita said “We celebrate the achievements of all graduating students, especially those from groups who have been traditionally underrepresented in higher education and are the first in their families to earn a college degree. The diverse and inclusive community at Cal State East Bay truly enriches the educational experience for all students through interactions with classmates from many different cultures and backgrounds.”

In the 2012 list, CSUEB is ranked No. 61 for bachelor’s degrees awarded to minority students in all majors combined, up from No. 71 in 2011.

Rankings are based on data from the previous academic year submitted to the U.S. Department of Education. The magazine analyzes reports from each institution to produce the list, which includes overall minority enrollment and degrees conferred for associate, baccalaureate and graduate programs.

The Top 100 rankings also include information about degrees conferred in specific academic areas and to individual ethnic and racial groups, as well as the percentage of all degree recipients representing students of color.

“This recognition reinforces what we all know: our campus is diverse and very welcoming to students from a variety of backgrounds and with a wide-range of interests,” said James Houpis, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “I am proud of the work our faculty and staff to ensure the success of our students and I am pleased to see it acknowledged at a national level.”

For undergraduate degrees granted to specific populations in the 2010-11 academic year, CSUEB was No. 32 in the nation for Asian American students and No. 80 for both Hispanic and Native American students. In specific majors and disciplines, CSUEB ranked highly for degrees granted to minority students in business, health science professions and nursing. See charts for further information.

Linda Nolan, director of equity and diversity at CSUEB, said the environment reflects both the East Bay region and the state. Both recruitment and student life programs emphasize inclusion and respect, she said, which demonstrates the university’s commitment to students of all backgrounds.

“We are known to value diversity, and so we become more attractive for families who also value that to send their students here,” she said.

Stan Hébert, associate vice president of Student Affairs, said the university also works to support students academically and socially to help them complete their degrees, particularly first generation students, who often come from underserved populations.

“A college-going culture can be supported in families, even if no one else has gone to college, in connection with universities,” he said, citing programs like Super Sunday outreach through African American churches. The university also joins other California State Universities in system-wide initiatives to encourage the pursuit of higher education for Asian American & Pacific Islander, Latino and Native American students, as well as former foster youth and military veterans.

“CSUEB has been a consistent leader in extending these community partnerships,” Hébert said.

Nolan added that the Cal State East Bay community views its inclusive environment as one of its greatest strengths, and noted that the university’s recently revised mission statement highlights diversity as a key part of the student experience.

“The president has been dedicated to providing a campus climate that is welcoming,” she said.

California State University, East Bay is the San Francisco East Bay Area's high-access public university of choice. CSUEB serves the region with campuses in Hayward and Concord, a professional development center in Oakland, and an innovative online campus. With an enrollment of more than 14,000, the University offers a nationally recognized freshman year experience, award-winning curriculum, personalized instruction, and expert faculty. Students choose from among more than 100 professionally focused fields of study for which the University confers bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as an Ed.D. in education. Named a "Best in the West" college, as well as a Best Business School, by the influential Princeton Review, Cal State East Bay is among the region's foremost producers of teachers, business professionals and entrepreneurs, public administrators, health professionals, literary and performing artists, and science and math graduates.